diff --git a/app/views/stories/_form.html.erb b/app/views/stories/_form.html.erb
index 15fd78dd5..c34b6375e 100644
--- a/app/views/stories/_form.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/stories/_form.html.erb
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@
     <div class="flex-1 mb-4 md:mb-0">
       <%= f.input :created_by_id,
                   collection: @users.map { |u| [ u.full_name_with_email, u.id ] },
-                  prompt: "Select an author",
+                  include_blank: "Select an author",
                   label: (f.object.created_by&.person ? (
                     link_to "Story author",
                             person_path(f.object.created_by.person),
diff --git a/spec/views/stories/edit.html.erb_spec.rb b/spec/views/stories/edit.html.erb_spec.rb
index 270f6b077..c674619ef 100644
--- a/spec/views/stories/edit.html.erb_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/views/stories/edit.html.erb_spec.rb
@@ -36,6 +36,14 @@
     end
   end
 
+  it "renders a blank author option so an already-set author can be cleared" do
+    render
+
+    assert_select "select[name=?]", "story[created_by_id]" do
+      assert_select "option[value=?]", "", text: "Select an author"
+    end
+  end
+
   it "does not render the Website button when website_url is nil" do
     story.update(website_url: nil)
     assign(:story, story.decorate)